Improvement in converting cast-iron into wbought-iron and steel



A. c.' RAND.

Gdnver ting Cast-Iron in-to'wroughtlr on and Steel.

Patented March 18,1873.

Witness:

flttorneys.

AM F/mmumosimPn/c ca. N. xz'asaamls's macgsq) UNITED STATES jPA'rEN'rOFFICE. I

ALONZO C. RAND, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONVERTING CAST-IRON INTO WROUGHT-IRON AND STEEL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,025, dated March18, 1873.

thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to theletters of reference marked thereon making'a part of this specification.

, The object of my invention is to convert cast-iron into wrought-ironor steel, as may be desired, directly from the molten iron, as it flowsfrom the cupola.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe themolten metal, for the purpose of taking.

the carbon out of the iron by its union with the oxygen in the air, orby dividing the iron into small particles by the force of a jet of steamhaving a sufticient impetus to break up the iron into minute particles,and then subjecting the iron thus divided to the action of the oxygencontained in the oxide of iron or other like substances. This lattermethod of course requires the iron to be re-heated, and if,peradventure, all the carbon should be taken out, the metal wouldrequire an additional treatment of carbon that the proper percentage maybe introduced into the iron to convert it into either wrought iron orsteel, as

'may be required.

the loss by oxidization is very small.

The iron, in my process, having been melted in any of the cupolas, A, ofmodern conmaiuing in the iron.

struction, it is allowed to flow into a fire-clay perforated pan, B. Theperforations in this pan are very small, and the pan rests upon afire-clay cylinder, 0, having atightbottom, and provided with anoutlet-pipe, D. This pipe is bow-shaped, the inlet end of the samelooking downward, and near the bottom of the cylinder. This prevents theescape of the impurities in the iron, and allows nothing but the pureiron to flow from the cylinder. The cylinder 0 is also provided with anair-pipe or pipes, E, the object of which is to introduce air into thecylinder, that it may come into contact with the fine streams of iron asthey flow through the perforations. Introducing air in this manner hasthe effect of forming the same union with the carbon in the iron as themethod now used, forcing air into the mass, with out the great loss byoxidization' already spoken of. The escape of the resultant gasesgenerated by this union (carbonic acid and carbonic oxide) is providedfor by having the clay-pan B of a lesser diameter than the cylinder (J,and supporting the same with lugs a a on the side of the pan resting onthe top edge of the cylinder.

The air may be furnished to the cylinder by the use of any of theordinary air-pumps, and of course the power to drive the same may bequite limited, as unlike the other process mentioned, the specificgravity of the iron has not to be overcome.

It may be advantageous to unite an additional quantity of oxygen to theair furnished the cylinder. If so, it may be procured cheaply by theprocess of Tessie du Motay, now being used by some of the gas-companiesin this country. The union of the air with the carbon in the ironincreases the temperature of the iron, and if the quantity of carbontaken from the iron is not sufficient, the addition of auxiliarycylinders will accomplish all that may be required to either convert theiron into wrought or malleable iron, or caststeel.

In the drawing, C represents such an auxiliary cylinder, with pan B,outlet-pipe I), and air-pipe E.

The color of the flame escaping between the edges of the pan andcylinder will determine the comparative quantity of carbon re- Theimpurities in the be skimmed off by taking the pan ofl' the cyl- Vinder, or by having an opening with door or slide on the side of thecylinder. If the iron has not parted with a sufficient amount of.

carbon after having passed through the series of cylinders, it may betaken from the last re-- ceptaole and again passed through the series ofcylinders, and the operation repeated until it shall have beensufficiently decarbonized.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Passing the molten iron from the cupola onto and through a perforatedpan upon the top of a cylinder provided with an air-pipe and aneductionpipe, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. Passing a blast of air laterally into the molten iron while it is infine streams, and falling into the cylinder under a perforated pan,substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The combination of a cupola, one or more cylinders, O, with closedbottom and open top, a perforated pan, B, an air-pipe, E, and aneduction-pipe, D, all substantially as and for the purposes herein setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this28th day of February, 1873.

EDM. F. BROWN.

